National Defence committee  The NAC believes that moving towards NATO's aspirational target of 2% would be a good thing for this nation moving forward, no ifs, ands, or buts. If the country were to move in that direction, we do not see why naval requirements and the requirements of other services in the Can

National Defence committee  Being the youngest who is retired, and recognizing that my information is now two years dated and that was not my area of expertise, I would again ask you to ask that of the navy when they come.

National Defence committee  On the issue of naval reserves, the last I heard was that we were having challenges recruiting and retaining naval reservists. We previously had this concept whereby we would man up to 12 maritime coastal defence vessels, six on each coast, with reservists. We've come to the conc

National Defence committee  I have no recent indications of whether or not.... It is working, in the sense that, with the mixed crewing option—a combination of reservists and regular force—we are now able to send MCDVs or maritime coastal defence vessels to sea. Whether or not that has an impact on changing

National Defence committee  Obviously you have in front of you retired naval officers of a few years back, but we're here representing our respective associations and, unfortunately, while we have anecdotal information about the state of personnel and recruiting in the military and in the navy, we're really

National Defence committee  I believe one of the many issues that would cause people who would think to join the military to either not join or to leave is when they sense, because we're taking left turns at Albuquerque too frequently, that the leadership doesn't truly believe that what it is they're callin

National Defence committee  Perhaps I could just add to what Captain Harsch just said. I think it's very important. Within what we believe the nation wishes to contribute of its national treasure towards defence, we can go and get x number of planes, trains, and automobiles, we can get y number of people an

National Defence committee  Thank you. I would say that unfortunately the general public awareness about the navy is relatively low in general terms. Of course, everyone reads the newspaper headlines, and in the last year and a half to two years, there regrettably has been no lack of senior correspondents

National Defence committee  Thank you, Mr. Rioux. Surveillance of our coasts is provided in all three oceans. Let's not forget that a lot more activities are currently taking place on the Atlantic the Pacific coasts than in the Arctic. Of course, that should change, as there will be as many activities in t

National Defence committee  Defence procurement is not easy. I don't care which political party you come from and your best desires and intent, it is not easy. It is especially not easy in the Canadian parliamentary system of government. In the end, and Admiral Robertson alluded to it, it is about political

National Defence committee  Those types of threats have changed, but haven't changed the way navies operate. I believe, in reading the report on your investigation into NORAD and aerial readiness, that many of the speakers spoke to the different facets or elements of threat. They continuously came back to t

National Defence committee  This concept of threat has many facets. The one you alluded to was: who might be menacing us? In days gone by in the Cold War, it was easy to recognize the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact as being that group of countries menacing the livelihood of the west. As recent history h

National Defence committee  As intimated by Vice-Admiral Robertson, the Naval Association of Canada feels it is important to affirm that it is very difficult to examine the state of the Royal Canadian Navy solely from the perspective of the defence of North America, as the Royal Canadian Navy has an importa